About Emmanuel Kindergarten

Emmanuel Anglican Kindergarten has been educating Oakleigh’s children for over 60 years. It is situated in the buildings that nestle together beside Emmanuel Anglican Church in the peaceful residential environs of Abbeygate Street Oakleigh.

Within our light filled and airy kinder space there are extensive opportunities for discovery and play. Our beautiful new atrium is a designated art space housing easels, and all of our art supplies. Our backyard offers an enormous sandpit, cubby house, beautiful old shade trees and a wealth of other outdoor equipment.

As you wander through the welcoming kinder rooms and expansive backyard :

you may see… children taking an imaginary bus trip to the seaside or zoo with their friends and an inspiring teacher…clay modelling…the tallest block building construction ever

you may hear… children singing along with our piano… laughing voices…imaginary games being invented

you may smell… freshly baked bread… flowers in a vase on a “still life” table

you may sense… passion… dedication… joy…excitement

you may feel…safety…gentle support…stability

Emmanuel Anglican Kindergarten is your local community kinder. Whether your child is: confident or a little reserved; mad about balls or a prolific painter; full of questions or full of wonder; our experienced staff will support their needs, identify their interests and allow them to spread their wings and have the courage to try new things.

Our Philosophy

Our Values:

At Emmanuel Anglican Kindergarten every child is valued. We will work with them, and their families, to create a stimulating environment where early learning and development is highly regarded. In undertaking this we seek to understand and respect the individual family and cultural histories that shape each child’s learning.

Within the Christian ethos and the practice of Christian values of care, nurture and respect, Emmanuel Anglican Kindergarten seeks to build healthy relationships with the children in their care and their families. We endeavour to build a strong community through secure, respectful and reciprocal relationships.

At Emmanuel Anglican Kindergarten we consider the whole child: physically, spiritually, socially, emotionally and educationally through a play based emergent curriculum giving children a sense of belonging, being, and becoming.

Our Educational Philosophy:

The Emmanuel Kindergarten programs are underpinned by the Reggio Emilia philosophy.

Originally developed in Reggio Emilia a town in northern Italy this educational approach is recognised and respected for its innovative practices, respecting children as capable and powerful directors of their own learning. Children are considered to be competent. The teacher recognises that each child is unique and provides scenarios and opportunities that are worthy of exploration and investigation.
Our kindergarten program manifests this philosophy by recognising the contribution that each unique person can make in creating our learning community. Each child is placed at the centre of their own learning, and given opportunities to follow their interests, thus exploring the world and their identity, their own potentiality, and being able to blossom at their own pace.
We understand that children:

should be respected, enjoyed and celebrated

are creative and independent thinkers

must be allowed to make sense of the world in many different ways: expressive, communicative, symbolic, cognitive, ethical, logical, imaginative and relational.

have multiple intelligences, all worthy of exploration.

We know that if we can arouse wonder and curiosity and support investigation, knowledge and understanding will arise. We know that parents are the primary educators of children and integral in enabling a rich, vital and flourishing kindergarten life and community.

Our Staff

Hello, my name is Paula Daglas. I am the Educational Leader and Red and Yellow Group Teacher at Emmanuel Anglican Kindergarten. This is my 8th year at Emmanuel Anglican Kindergarten. I have been with Best Chance, our kindergarten cluster management, … Read More

My name is Janine and this year I am teaching both Green and Yellow Group at Emmanuel Anglican Kindergarten. My connection with Emmanuel Anglican Kindergarten began when my own children attended the kindergarten over a period of 5 years. The … Read More

Hello. I am Connie Davidson and this year I am the assistant for Red and Yellow groups. I have been working as an assistant at Emmanuel for over 13 years. I currently hold a Certificate 3 in Children’s Services but I … Read More

Hello everyone. I’m Mayu. I would like to talk about myself… I’m Japanese. I came to Australia in 2001 when I was 20. It’s my 6th year working at Emmanuel Kinder, this year I am assisting in Red Group. I’ve … Read More

Hello, I’m Sharon. Presently I am the Green Group Assistant. I’m a local girl, I grew up in South Oakleigh. I have 3 children and 3 grandchildren. I have been working with children since 1986 and at Emmanuel kindergarten for … Read More

My name is Barb De Looze. I have recently joined the team at Emmanuel Kindergarten. I completed my Certificate 3 in Early Childhood Education and Care at Bestchance in 2014 and did part of my placement here. The teachers and … Read More

Our Facilities

Emmanuel Anglican Kindergarten is located at 26 Abbeygate Street, Oakleigh.
Our facility consists of one an ample kinder room, an adjoining atrium that serves as our art studio and an expansive backyard outdoor garden playspace.
We have a long term vision to improve and enhance the learning opportunities of the backyard, and as funding materialises this will begin to be realised.

Our Management

Our Committee

Emmanuel Anglican Kindergarten is a not-for-profit Incorporated Association which is run by committee. This Committee comprises volunteers from the Kinder parents community, who are responsible for all financials and many of the operations of the kinder. Bestchance cluster management group assist us by employing and managing our wonderful staff.

Generally committee members derive a great deal of personal satisfaction from their contribution.

Our Committee meets monthly, except January.

If you would like to contact a committee member, please drop a note in the blue pockets in the foyer.

Every parent is welcome to join the committee and to attend meetings. If you have a wish to join committee or to contribute in any way to committee projects please contact us.

2017 Committee members

Role

Name

President

Judith Marriott

Vice President

Mary Balakas

Treasurer

Janakiram Sampath

Communications Officer

Angela Delagas

Secretary

–

Policies & Documents Officer

–

Fees Officer

Christine Thomas

Enrolment Officer

Kathleen Windsor

Marketing Officer

Rebecca Fairweather

Website/Social Media Officer

Carla Salemme

Librarian

Natalie Moran

Maintenance Officers

Simon Tippett, Richard Frankie

Event Co-Ordinators

Lucinda Murray, Alison Loukidis

Group Rep – Red

–

Group Reps – Green

Srinivasa Chinna Reddy, Kiah Long

Group Rep – Yellow

Fred Lau

Vestry Reps

Anne Gibbs, Michelle Budhathoki

Non Voting Members

Kindergarten Staff

Paula Daglas, Janine Bird

Bookkeeper

Lisa Trevarthen

Best Chance Early Years

Kelly Smyth
Vanessa Kenny

Best Chance

Emmanuel Anglican Kindergarten is part of a cluster management group. This means that the Child and Family Care Network (CFCN) act as licensee and employ and manage all teaching and relief staff. They also administer payment of wages and preservation of staff entitlements, develop and implement a Professional Development program and develop and monitor policies and procedures. For more information, please visit the Best Chance website.

Our Church

Emmanuel Anglican Kindergarten was established in 1949 by members of the church at Emmanuel to cater for the needs of their own children and those of the local community. From the beginning the church has facilitated, supported and encouraged the life of the Kindergarten.

The Kindergarten is affiliated with the Council for Anglican Early Childhood Services of the diocese of Melbourne. This affiliation provides a philosophical framework for excellence in care, high standards of staff qualification, opportunities for ongoing training of staff and other resources to enhance the quality of the Kindergarten’s service. It also provides a regulatory framework for the relationship between the Kindergarten and the local Church. The Vicar and one or two members of the church committee (Vestry) are members of the Kindergarten Committee and represent the Church in the running of the Service.

The Kindergarten pays the church a nominal rent well below commercial rates and contributes to its share of the cost of utilities. The Kindergarten is responsible for maintaining its own equipment and repair of minor wear and tear on the premises and the church pays for all major maintenance of the buildings. But the relationship goes beyond that of property owner and tenant. Members of the parish assist in practical ways and the parish as a whole sees the Kindergarten as part of its wider contribution to the community.